As used herein, the term “low voltage device” is meant to include, but is not limited to, coaxial sockets, telephone sockets, data sockets, RCA ports, HDMI ports, S-Video ports, low voltage ports, DC voltage ports, etc., as a person skilled in the art would understand to be low voltage devices.
As used herein, the term “wiring device” is meant to include, typically single-gang, 120 V or 240 V receptacles, fixture ON/OFF switches, ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs), surge protective devices (SPDs), transient voltage suppressors (TVSSs), arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs), proximity sensors, dimmers, decorator style devices, duplex devices, combinations thereof, etc. Wiring devices are typically used in institutional and residential wiring distribution systems for providing power to a load. They are required by the electrical code to be mounted in outlet boxes having predefined outlet box opening sizes. The family of sizes are referred to as “gangs”, the smallest opening being a single gang opening.
As used herein, the term “TV wall box” or “recessed TV wall box”, expressed as a unit or an assembly, refers to an electrical device housing structure that mounts in a wall and, which, provides a recessed space and dedicated openings for either wiring devices or low voltage devices, while providing a flush mounting on the wall. Accordingly, a flat screen TV, for example, could be hung on the wall without any structural interference with the TV wall box. It is to be further noted that TV wall boxes as well as the wall box assembly according to embodiments of the instant invention are not to be construed as limited to use with televisions, monitors, or the like; rather, there are various utilities adapted to a flush mounted wall box assembly as a person skilled in the art would appreciate. One non-limiting example would be behind a cabinet.
Known TV wall boxes are provided with dedicated openings for either wiring devices or low voltage devices. The openings are all essentially rectangular. The top and bottom wall surfaces surrounding the opening typically include a set of integrally molded bosses having bored holes, which are provided for mounting a low voltage device. The bosses intrude into the rectangular opening and although they accommodate the attachment of the low voltage device, this intrusion prevents the insertion of an outlet box. Conversely, the opening for a wiring device box typically has smooth perimeter edges that merely surround an outlet box otherwise affixed to a wall stud or attached to the wall. As a result, a wiring device cannot be installed at the “low voltage device locations” even if the low voltage device opening size would accommodate a wiring device. Since there are no bosses and no bored holes, a low voltage device cannot practically be installed at the “wiring device locations,” unless, perhaps an adapter is provided to attach a low voltage device, as discussed further below.
Furthermore, since low voltage device mounting bosses/holes are integral to the TV wall box, these structures are necessarily formed during the TV wall box molding process. They have to be substantially parallel to the draw of the mold, i.e., normal to the mounting plane (established by mounting flanges) of the box. If the holes were not substantially parallel to the draw, very complex and expensive slides in the mold would be required. This restriction on hole orientation thus limits the quantity and the orientation of low voltage openings. These known boxes have to have at least one opening that is substantially parallel to the mounting flange of the TV wall box, otherwise low voltage device mounting holes cannot be molded into the box. Conversely, low voltage openings cannot be angled with respect to the mounting flange since mounting holes cannot be provided at such locations. If more than one low voltage opening is required, it must be placed in the plane parallel to the mounting flange. This considerably increases the width of the TV box.
Installers may face any number of consumer-desired wiring device and low voltage device combinations. The options currently available to the installer, however, are limited because of the dedicated nature of the openings as discussed above. One solution has been to commercialize a family of recessed TV wall box configurations. Whereas the family of boxes may address all foreseeable combinations, it is done so at considerable expense. Another solution has been to provide an over-sized TV wall box having more openings, but this adds difficulty to the installation. A further solution has been to let the installer “just take care of it”, whereupon the installer may, e.g., install a pair of TV wall boxes that in combination provide the necessary openings. This solution is neither time- nor cost-efficient.
For certain commercially available TV wall boxes, the necessary installation hole in the sheetrock wall is sized by flipping the box around and hitting the box with a hammer, for example. The box thus makes indentations into the sheetrock. Unfortunately these marks are not always readily visible.
Known TV wall boxes opt for recessed side walls that enter the wall space at a steep angle. Since the openings in these walls are likewise at the steep angle, the boxes are necessarily very large in size to allow access to the outlet box and wiring device mounting screws. A smaller wall box would cause a screwdriver to misalign with respect to the mounting screw heads.
Other known TV wall boxes have a shallow-recessed, low voltage device opening, making these boxes unduly wide. They come as an assembly in which one housing nests inside the other. Unfortunately the wires may be routed between the two housings and become damaged as a result.
As mentioned above, an adapter may be provided to accommodate a low voltage device in an electrical device sized opening in a housing. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary adapter 100-1. The adapter has a rectangular shape that is sized to slide fit into an electrical device opening in a housing. The horizontal top and bottom sections of the adapter 100-1 have flanged surfaces that rest against outer wall surfaces surrounding the wall box opening in the housing and prevent the adapter from passing through the opening. The adapter 100-1 also includes a separate pair of screw-type mounting brackets 102 assembled in the flange sections as shown. The face of each bracket is drawn against the inner wall surface surrounding the electrical device opening upon tightening of the associated screw. A low voltage device can now be assembled to the adapter via the threaded bores 103 that are molded into the top and bottom sections of the adapter. The adapter has a number of disadvantages. These include its multi-component structure, its cost of manufacture, and the ability to remove it from the housing assembly while the low voltage device is assembled to the adapter. Another disadvantage is that a tool is required for fastening the adapter to the TV wall box, making the installation process more time-consuming.
In view of the foregoing and other reasons that will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the inventors have recognized a need for a convertible wiring device/low voltage device housing assembly and a low voltage device adapter that provide solutions and/or improvements over the currently available products and technology.